


Philosophical Differences

by shellcollector



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Book Defacement, Canon Era, Gen, Hegel Abuse, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 10:31:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7218910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shellcollector/pseuds/shellcollector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bahorel and Enjolras are unimpressed by a work of German Idealism. Written for a tumblr prompt: "Bahorel and Enjolras, reading a book together".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Philosophical Differences

Bahorel reached over Enjolras to underscore another line. Enjolras, in turn, reached over him to add another annotation.

> When a people is not a patriarchal tribe, having passed from the primitive condition [!!], which made the forms of aristocracy and democracy possible [?!!!??], and is represented not as in a wilful and disorganised condition {SOUNDS DELIGHTFUL}, but as a self-developed truly organic totality {DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?} [I believe I do, but wish I did not —], in such a people sovereignty is the personality of the whole [Is it? Truly??], and exists, too, in a reality {UNLIKE SOME I MIGHT MENTION}, which is proportionate to the conception, the person of the monarch.[ **NO** ]

Enjolras doubled his underline with a second stroke, so forcefully that the pen dug into the surface of the paper. He huffed.

“Do you ever wish to physically attack a volume?” he asked.

“All the time,” said Bahorel. “In general, I find it more satisfying to find the author and have it out with him. Perhaps we should take a trip to Prussia.”

“That does sound rather satisfying,” said Enjolras, leaning his head to one side. “Feuilly would approve, although I think he’d be more interested in talking to the people than to this ridiculous professor.”

Bahorel turned his face out of the way of Enjolras’ hair, if only to make it easier to breathe without getting a mouthful, and freed his hands from where their arms had got tangled up together. He flicked through the pages quickly, snorting to himself. Finally, he exploded in laughter.

“Enjolras, you will enjoy this. See what he says about marriage!”

They got to work again.

> That an individual may be objective, and so fulfil his ethical duty, he should marry.  {I HOPE YOU ARE TAKING NOTE OF THIS} [I certainly am.] The circumstances attending the external starting-point {WHAT A WAY TO TALK ABOUT WOOING A WOMAN} are largely a matter of chance {I IMAGINE IT SEEMS SO IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT IT}, depending largely upon the state of reflective culture.

“I am very sorry,” said Combeferre behind them, startling them both. “I am atrociously late. There was a carriage accident, and I had to — wait — how did you manage to open the door?”

Bahorel turned, and assumed an expression of extreme innocence which Combeferre had learned to be suspicious of.

“It was unlocked,” he said. “You must have forgotten, on your way out. Or perhaps you turned the key, but not all the way.”

Combeferre sighed.

“You surely didn’t expect us to wait for you out in the hallway?” asked Enjolras. “And anyway, it’s a good thing we didn’t. As it is we had to amuse ourselves in your apartment for a good two hours. If that word’s at all appropriate, since we ended up spending most of our time in the company of your friend M. Hegel. Where do you dredge up such scoundrels?”

“He came recommended by Courfeyrac’s odd friend,” said Combeferre.

Enjolras made a face. Bahorel laughed.

“Well, I’ve found him an enjoyable adversary, at least,” he said. “He tried to get the better of me with his ball-of-wool sentences, but between us we gave him a beating.”

Combeferre’s eye fell on the page and its mass of ink and sighed again. “You do know I’ve not yet read most of this?”

“Neither have we,” said Bahorel. “We simply skipped across the surface like a stone across a river, finding the most ridiculous passages.”

“Of which there was no shortage,” said Enjolras. “Really, Combeferre, I don’t know what you’re doing with this fellow. He argues that property is necessary in order for men to be fully human! That the best way to combat poverty is to leave the poor to begging and penury!”

Combeferre made a helpless gesture. “There is some interesting theoretical work contained within the —”

“You say yourself that you’ve not read it,” said Bahorel. “Come back to us when you’ve finished it, and tell us all the theoretical interest to be found in this fellow who states outright that women are the equals of plants. Plants!”

“Of course, both are beloved of Jean Prouvaire,” murmured Enjolras.

Bahorel glared at him, and then back at Combeferre.

“Why don’t we set off?” suggested Combeferre. “That is, if you are finished defacing my poor book. You can tell me all about the ills of M. Hegel while we walk.”

They fetched their hats, and the bundles of leaflets.

“Tell him about the one part you liked,” said Enjolras.

“Ha!” said Bahorel, all grin. “Well, the one thing I’ll say for the man is that he’s _very_ scathing about lawyers.”

**Author's Note:**

> The work they are reading is GWF Hegel's [_Philosophy of Right_](https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/pr/index.htm)


End file.
